James Moody

James Moody,
(born March 26, 1925, Savannah, Georgia, U.S.—died December 9, 2010, San Diego, California), American jazz musician who joked with audiences and introduced unlikely themes, including “Beer Barrel Polka,” but then played tenor saxophone with a fierce, passionate devotion to melodic romanticism. One of the earliest bebop musicians, he appeared with Dizzy Gillespie’s pioneering big band (1946–48) and lived (1949–51) in Europe, where he recorded an alto saxophone solo that, with lyrics added, became singer King Pleasure’s 1954 hit “Moody’s Mood for Love.” After leading 1950s groups, Moody played flute and saxophones with Gillespie’s combos (1963–69) and then performed for seven ... (100 of 149 words)